Financial Planning Blog

Remember that time when we were experiencing an economic crisis, fearing for our jobs, and wondering if we were headed for a great depression? The year was 2008, and many of us curtailed purchases, paid down debt—anything and everything to prepare for worse times yet to come.

A February 2015 report by the American Psychological Association (APA) shed light on the stress levels of United States citizens. The findings showed that despite an improvement in the U.S. economy, money issues continued to be the leading cause of stress for Americans. According to Executive Vice President and APA CEO, Norman B. Anderson, PhD, “Regardless of the economic climate, money and finances have remained the top stressor since our survey began in 2007. Furthermore, this year’s survey shows that stress related to financial issues could have a significant impact on Americans’ health and well-being.” The same study goes on to state that “Nearly 1 in 5 Americans say that they have either considered skipping (9 percent) or skipped (12 percent) going to the doctor when they needed health care because of financial concerns.”

Many of today’s nations are employing an unstable method of economic bolstering that involves reducing the worth of their own currency. The theory behind this is that a weakened currency will improve competition in the global export market and fuel a country’s economic growth. For many, this theory contains a frightening number of negative probabilities and can be likened to shoring up a home’s foundation with quicksand: Build on an unstable surface, face the effects of the inevitable collapse when it occurs.

In some places, you already are

There has been plenty of media attention, and discussion among Americans, about the Social Security problem—namely, the declining ratio of workers contributing to retirees receiving benefits. Although we have mentioned it on this blog, there has been much less attention given to the underfunded pensions. Unfortunately, some pensions may “go broke” before Social Security does.

New name coincides with launch of national expansion

Many people familiar with Brock Financial Consultants are aware of its parent company, Mutual Benefit International Group (MBIG), and its business plan to open a global network of branch offices. That plan is turning into reality and will take place under the Consultus name. In a press release issued on September 23, 2014, Hank Brock announced that Brock Financial Consultants is changing its name to Consultus. The name change was officially announced as taking place on October 15, 2014, but is already starting to show up in a few places. It is also likely that the process will continue after the official transition date.

New Name as MBIG Business Plan Becomes a Reality

The introduction of the Consultus name is taking place as the company begins implementing the MBIG business plan for branch office expansion. On Tuesday, Consultus announced its first permanent branch office outside of St. George. After an extensive search and rigorous screening process, the company announced that Jason Duhon will head up a branch office in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Last Monday marked the deadline for new sign-ups under Obamacare. On Tuesday, April 1st, Andy Friedman appeared on CNBC to discuss the future of Obamacare and the effect it is likely have on the mid-term elections. You may view the segment below.

Does watching news about Vladimir Putin's Ukraine policies make you nervous? What about North Korea's most recent missile testing? Do you find yourself becoming increasingly anxious when you hear reports that ATMs are in danger of being hacked (see video #2 below)? These are just three current news items that argue for holding some precious metals in your investment portfolio. These are in addition to longer-term reasons such as the continuing devaluation of the dollar, the massive buildup of global debt, and the increasing risk of hyperinflation.

(Note: This is a modified version of a letter that was emailed to clients of Brock and Associates on January 18, 2014).

Last year was one of the worst years for precious metals in a long time. Specifically, with regard to silver, specifically, its drop is not surprising given its tendency for negative correlation with the stock market (This is one reason we recommend it). Its price decline has created a silver buying opportunity. Let's take a look at why we believe this is the case.